CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Finance Committee approved an ordinance to purchase The Well outreach center, a proposal that prompted public concern over its downtown location and whether it could eventually become a homeless shelter.
Public comment moved ahead of vote
Before the discussion on the ordinance began, Council member Deanna McLaughlin requested that public comment be moved up from the end of the meeting so residents could address the proposal before a vote. “I believe a lot of the people that are here have comments related to what we’re about to discuss,” she said.
Council member Stacey Streetman voted against the motion, citing concerns about setting a precedent.
Three speakers addressed the committee during public comment.
Downtown business owner questions location
Matt Cunningham, one of the owners of Strawberry Alley and the Mailroom, said he supports homeless shelters and the services they provide but believes the proposed location conflicts with downtown revitalization efforts. “We’re really invested in downtown, Clarksville, the community as a whole,” he said. “We love this town – it’s our hometown – and we want to see nothing but the best of it.”
Cunningham said the downtown area is already struggling and pointed to city investments such as the Downtown Commons park, the F&M Bank Arena, and the Performing Arts Center. He said the location choice was “really misaligned with the city’s financial and economic development incentives.”
He added he hoped to be included in future discussions surrounding a shelter.
Nearby property owners, preservation leaders raise concerns
Barbara McMahan, a Dog Hill property owner, said she supports the need for a shelter but questioned whether the downtown location is appropriate. “I know we need a shelter somewhere, but I just really question the location,” she said, urging council members to consider the area’s historic district.
McMahan said she previously contacted The Well regarding issues she has experienced in the area.
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Montgomery County Preservation Coalition President Jennifer Rudolph voiced concerns while acknowledging the need for unhoused services. “I don’t think there’s a single person in this room that doesn’t want to see our downtown survive and thrive,” she said. “We are putting money into our downtown to draw people to our restaurants and our businesses.”
Rudolph said encounters with unhoused individuals late at night can feel intimidating and described a friend’s experience living near The Well, including finding “condoms and needles” in her yard. She requested the committee delay the decision to gather more information.
City leaders say ordinance does not create a shelter
After public comment, Council member Streetman addressed what she called misinformation surrounding the proposal. “There’s been a lot of miscommunication that has gone about on Facebook,” she said.
She clarified that the ordinance only authorizes the purchase of the property to expand existing services – not create a homeless shelter. “This has nothing to do with the potential for a homeless shelter down the road,” she said.
“It is very hard to go apply and interview for a job when you don’t have clean clothes, when you haven’t been able to take a shower,” Streetman said. “The whole idea is to be able to get them in a better situation.”
Expanded services outlined for The Well
Neighborhood and Community Services Director Michelle Austin said they plan to add laundry facilities, showers, and ADA accessible bathrooms to the building.
Austin said they would expand on services already offered at The Well, including meals and community support.
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She also discussed the Clarksville-Area Urban Ministries’ emergency warming shelter and said the Madison United Methodist Church has sheltered the unhoused for the last three years while balancing preschool services. Austin says the services would transition the individuals “already being served at this location” one block down.
She also emphasized how critical that location is due to its proximity to Workforce Essentials, Operation Stand Down, Loaves and Fishes, and their transportation hub.
Service capacity and next steps
Austin says they don’t have an exact number of people who would use the expanded services. Urban Ministries served more than 200 unhoused individuals last year, and Community Action served more than 400 – though some people may have been counted twice.
She encouraged residents with questions to attend the next Neighborhood and Community Services Committee meeting on Jan. 15 at The Well. Austin also said people can email her with questions and concerns here.
Vote breakdown
Council member Keri Lovato abstained from voting due to her connection with Urban Ministries.
Council member Deanna McLaughlin made a motion to postpone the vote until the Jan. 26 Finance Committee meeting. “The concerns have come up since Thursday. A lot of people didn’t get information on this until recently,” she said. “There are people here who probably had questions that they weren’t able to ask.”
Mayor Pro Tem Brian Zacharias also voted in favor of the postponement, while Council member Joe Shakeenab and Streetman opposed it. This resulted in a tie vote. When the ordinance came to a vote for approval, Shakeenab and Streetman voted in favor, while McLaughlin and Zacharius abstained, allowing the recommendation to pass.
This ordinance now goes to City Council for consideration. “I will probably motion at the next council meeting that it be postponed,” McLaughlin said. The next City Council meeting is Jan. 8.
Property details
The city plans to purchase the property at 224 Union St. from Trenton Crossing’s Church of Christ, which was appraised for $1.28 million. The purchase includes 0.87 acres and a 10,677 square foot building currently used as the church’s outreach center, known as The Well.
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